Share this on
Are you looking for a freediving school in Europe in order to train and improve your skills? Why not check out the Canary Islands? Alchemy partner Pavel Tomm explains.
The Canary Islands, or the Canaries, are the Spanish archipelago that is located just off the northwest coast of Africa, 100 kilometers west of Morocco. It is an autonomous community and is the outermost region of the European Union. The islands include: Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera and other smaller islands. These volcanic islands were formed by the Canary hotspot and it is the only place in Spain where volcanic eruptions have been recorded during the modern era. The last eruption on La Palma started on September 19th 2021. It took three months of spewing ash and hot molten rock.
The Canary Islands are very popular tourist destinations with more than 12 million visitors per year. Most visited islands are Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. The islands have a subtropical climate, with warm summers and moderately warm winters. Because of the location above the temperature inversion layer, are some high mountains ideal for astronomical observation. You can visit two professional observatories. One is Teide Observatory on Tenerife and another one is on La Palma.
With its area of 2,034 km2, Tenerife is the most extensive island in the Canary Islands. With more than 900.000 inhabitants it is the most populated island in Spain. There are two principal cities: The capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and San Cristóbal de La Laguna (a World Heritage Site) which is also home to the oldest university in the Canary Islands, the University of La Laguna. Volcano Teide is the highest peak of Spain (3,718 meters) and is also a World Heritage Site.
Local fauna includes geckos and wall lizards, and some endemic species of recently rediscovered and critically endangered giant lizards. Mammals include the Canarian Shrew, Canary Big-Eared Bat, the Algerian Hedgehog, Rabbits and Mouflon. The bird life includes various European and African species.
View this post on Instagram
The Canary Islands seabed is very rich and the temperature of the water is around 19 °C in winter and 25 °C in summer. It attracts lots of marine animals. It is a combination of endemic, North Atlantic, and Mediterranean species. You can freedive with many kinds of sharks, rays, moray eels, jacks, or groupers. There are also many invertebrate species such as jellyfish, sponge, anemone, crab, sea urchin, starfish, sea cucumber or coral. There are 5 different species of marine turtle that are sighted on the islands. The most common of these is the loggerhead sea turtle. The other four are the green, hawksbill, leatherback, and Kemp's ridley sea turtle. There are no signs at the moment that some of these species breed on the islands, and are usually just migrating. However, some of these species may have been bred in the islands in the past probably. Marine mammals include the Short-Finned Pilot Whale, Common, and Bottlenose dolphins. The Canary Islands were also formerly home to a population of the rarest pinniped in the world, the Mediterranean Monk Seal.
What makes this place really special is that many of these animals live here permanently. Some are called resident species. You can find almost 30 different cetaceans here, such as Blue Whale, Short-Finned Pilot Whale and a few species of dolphins, mainly Common and Bottlenose dolphins. Their presence is very frequent and the Canary Islands have become a very important place in Europe for watching whales and dolphins in the wild. Pilot whales are very easy to spot in the water because they live here permanently. This very friendly cetacean travels in groups and you can see them interacting with other members of the pod. It is not unusual for them to swim alongside boats. Unfortunately, dozens (maybe even hundreds) of dolphins and whales are killed by boats every year in between islands.
Tabaiba bay is located on the east of the island and even if it doesn't look like it, it's very well protected. Bay is surrounded by residential areas, where you can enjoy several swimming areas, such as a natural seawater pool, sunbathing areas, and open access areas to the open ocean. You can easily rent an apartment next to the ocean, even in the same complex where the freediving center Atlantis freediving is located. This is a perfect place to use as a base. Friendly atmosphere, and professionals who know the island and diving conditions pretty well. You can rent or store equipment there, put the wetsuit on and just go freediving. Freediving spots with mooring buoys are just in front of the center.
The first place you would find and place you can start freediving is above the El Pejin shipwreck. And this place is really special. The wreck itself is sitting on the bottom at around 32 meters, but the top of the wreck is already around 18 meters. It makes this place perfect not only for exploration and photo sessions but also for beginners and freedivers doing their first courses. This view they have already at 10 meters when the wreck is just next to them makes it them really unforgettable. Another place you can put your buoy is just a few meters behind the wreck, which has a depth of around 35m. Both of these spots are very close to the shore and very easily accessible. The visibility is between 20-30m, there is no current and the surface is usually very calm.
If you want to freedive deeper the next buoy is a little bit farther, but still in easy swimming distance. Depth is close to 60m and it is still very well protected. The other 2 buoys 100 and 115m are a little bit farther. It makes sense to use a stand-up paddleboard or underwater scooter to get there with your setup. Anyway, people from the center are training here as well, and finding a buddy for a deep dive session should not be a problem.
Freediving in Tenerife is getting very popular and you can meet world-class athletes training here. You can train all day long, in-depth, or in the pool. If you want to do some other activities, take your car and go up the mountain. It takes just about 15 minutes from the beach to drive up the hill and you can walk through thick, green, and cool forests and enjoy dramatic cliffs and stunning views. Due to the profile and climate, Tenerife is just a paradise for cycling, biking, running, and hiking. You can meet professional cycling teams training here, you can join some epic trail running races such as Tenerife Bluetrail, or just run through the forests on your own. With very good connections and many low-cost airlines with regular flights to the island, Tenerife is definitely one of the best places for freediving and exploring not far from Europe.